'Flying UN chair' ends world tour in New York

NEW YORK (Ma'an) -- A hand-crafted UN chair for Palestine ended its world tour at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Thursday, the campaign's organizers said.

At a news conference, coordinator of the Palestine Deserves campaign Basim al-Masri asked the UN chief of staff to deliver a message to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that Palestine deserves freedom and to live in peace and security in an independent state.

"Palestinians will not stay at the back of the bus," al-Masri said, according to a statement.

The chair toured capitals in the Middle East and Europe before arriving at its final destination, in a campaign to support the Palestinian bid for full membership of the UN.

The olive-wood chair, fashioned in air-force blue to look like the seats at the United Nations, was hand-made by 35 men in Jenin in the northern West Bank in hopeful anticipation of the state of Palestine gaining a seat in the world body.